So basically if JV becomes as good as or better than CB4 than this team is going to be very very good. Rudy gay paired with Jonas is a very good tandem, something we've never had before. Lets just hope it all pans out, even though it never does for us raptor fans it seems.

There's potential. Val will have issues though. Teams will start game planning for him. Showing him doubles. He'll have to make good decisions. Teams will attack him trying to draw fouls.

It's easy to get too excited about JV but he's likely 3-4 years away from entering his prime. He's only 20/21. I keep telling myself that. Still, while I don't think he's Shaq or Yao or Wilt or Russell, I do believe he can be an elite centre. Maybe I'm wearing the rose coloured glasses but I don't see the comparisons to Chandler and Noah. Those guys are not as good as JV's ceiling.

There's potential. Val will have issues though. Teams will start game planning for him. Showing him doubles. He'll have to make good decisions. Teams will attack him trying to draw fouls.

It's easy to get too excited about JV but he's likely 3-4 years away from entering his prime. He's only 20/21. I keep telling myself that. Still, while I don't think he's Shaq or Yao or Wilt or Russell, I do believe he can be an elite centre. Maybe I'm wearing the rose coloured glasses but I don't see the comparisons to Chandler and Noah. Those guys are not as good as JV's ceiling.

Agreed...I don't even see the comparisons to Marc Gasol, though I will at least sort of agree that his skill set, physicality and energy make it easy to think of him as something of a cross between Gasol and Noah...

BUT, to me this just means an actual skilled 2-way centre who isn't slow. The best comparisons I can think of for JV, that I always hesitate to say because people will think I'm crazy, are Tim Duncan, and Pau Gasol (with a higher motor). Now, he has a lot to prove to actually become as good as those guys, but I see no reason why he can't be something at least close to that good. Frankly, he already looks to have a better motor and is tougher compared to Gasol. I really believe all the tools are there.

He literally has every single skill you can want from a C, and he's made pretty significant strides defensively even just withint the season...and people don't appreciate how hard that is for a FOREIGN rookie, because D is so much about communication, and for the first few months his English was pretty broken. I don't know what his passing is like, but he hasn't been in that position where he initiates team offense from the post a lot...that will come as this year closes out and next year. From what I've seen, there's no reason to think he can't at least be adequate there.

*On the first bold, I don't know if you mean on O, but on D guys have been attacking him since day 1. And off the ball guys have been taking shots at him....elbows, bodychecks, Hansbroughs (a new name for comedically flagrant fouls that get ignored)...And really, the only guy who stuck up for him was Kleiza (physically, I mean, because Linas is a killer). I am already very impressed by the amount of control JV is playing with now (since the all-star break), as he has become quite a bit better at avoiding fouls without backing down at all. Often that's the problem with rookies...they back down to avoid fouls/bruises...JV doesn't care either way, he's limiting his fouls a bit better, and you know he's going to give back every hit he gets.

I don't know what his passing is like, but he hasn't been in that position where he initiates team offense from the post a lot...that will come as this year closes out and next year. From what I've seen, there's no reason to think he can't at least be adequate there.

Ppl don't give BC enough credit. If JV makes a huge jump next year, doesn't this team look a lot more than 8th seed?

Why would I give BC credit? JV fell right into his lap. Wasn't Bismack Biyombo second on his board? Thank God that didn't happen. BC's drafting is ok, but from his history in TO, he has never had to make really difficult picks....The hardest was the #1 he used on Bargs, which I won't bash him for because again, that was a weak draft, and it's hard not to draft a 3 pt shooting PF with the body of a C and good athleticism. The next was the #8 he used on Ross, because all the picks TO desired were obviously gone. To early to tell on Ross, but again, he didn't even take a risk like he did with Bargs, he just drafted the next wing (team need) on his board after the others were gone.

I would give JV credit for his improvement and the impact that has on the team (and credit to coaches/teammates for helping him have that impact), and still hope BC gets fired.

He also had a nice pass to Fields on a cut out of a double last game. You can already tell how much better he is at being patient and reading the D than compared to earlier on this season...I just love this kid.

Found the highlights on youtube for last game...nothign shorter than this...The nice pass to Fields is just after the 3 minute mark.

Thought this would be fun, just to show how JV is making progress, but also doing so consistently, with different splits going back from now to his return.....
Stats are....MPG, PPG (FGA-FG%), RPG (ORPG), BPG, APG, TOs, PFs

Little thing I like about it...the fouls have stabilized despite much more minutes. Can't really fault the assists given how rarely he touches the ball to initiate offense, often being a finisher. The turnover numbers aren't great, but that's somewhat expected, and still, when I look at them, they aren't as bad as I thought they could be.

Thought this would be fun, just to show how JV is making progress, but also doing so consistently, with different splits going back from now to his return.....
Stats are....MPG, PPG (FGA-FG%), RPG (ORPG), BPG, APG, TOs, PFs

Little thing I like about it...the fouls have stabilized despite much more minutes. Can't really fault the assists given how rarely he touches the ball to initiate offense, often being a finisher. The turnover numbers aren't great, but that's somewhat expected, and still, when I look at them, they aren't as bad as I thought they could be.

No Homo but I think every Rap fan including myself just has a man crush on JV hes very very likeable I wouldnt be surprised if he has the leading Raptor jersey sales soon. Walking downtown I saw so many JV jerseys today.

No Homo but I think every Rap fan including myself just has a man crush on JV hes very very likeable I wouldnt be surprised if he has the leading Raptor jersey sales soon. Walking downtown I saw so many JV jerseys today.